Dancers in Motion: An Art Portfolio by Luis Pons
Washington Ballet Ballerina Peyton Anderson
Luis Pons is a photographer who works with dancers to create an aesthetic that captures the best of both art forms. Luis’ photographs depict dancers in motion amid unexpected but oddly fitting backdrops, from natural expanses to city streets.
I really enjoy the way Luis is able to integrate his subjects into these seemingly disparate backgrounds. The dancers are invariable confident and focused, appearing to be giving an impassioned performance amid trees, concrete, skyscrapers and other man-made structures. As we saw in our previous feature, Pons' moments of ballet appear frozen in time and space.
Luis' art website, www.lponsphotography.com
Perhaps the most striking aspect of these photos is the contrast they offer between the human body, and man-made structures. The hard, geometric lines of buildings and monuments make the dancer’s bodies look all the more solid and purposeful. Even in series like Emergence, where dancers are juxtaposed with the ocean, this symbiotic contrast creates a fascinating focus on the human form at its peak.
